Determining object detection area based on articulation angle

ABSTRACT

A controller may determine, using a first sensor device of the machine, an articulation angle of the machine. The controller may adjust, based on the articulation angle, a size of an object detection area to obtain an adjusted object detection area. The object detection area may be associated with an articulation joint of the machine.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to determining an objectdetection area and, for example, to determining an object detection areabased on an articulation angle of a machine.

BACKGROUND

An articulated machine includes a front portion and a rear portion thatare configured to articulate with respect to each other via anarticulation joint of the articulated machine. The articulated machinemay include an object detection system to detect objects, that appear asobstructions, within the vicinity of the articulation joint. Forexample, the object detection system may detect one or more operatorsservicing one or more components (of the articulated machine) within thevicinity of the articulation joint. Detection of objects within thevicinity of the articulation joint may cause the articulated machine toalert an operator inside a cabin of the articulated machine and/orreduce or prevent movement of the articulated machine while the objectsremain within the vicinity of the articulation joint. However, suchobject detection system may erroneously detect portions of thearticulated machine as obstructions. Erroneously detecting portions ofthe articulated machine as obstructions may disrupt machine operation.

U.S. Pat. No. 10,421,400 (the '400 patent) discloses that a surroundingsmonitoring system for a work vehicle includes a bending angle dataacquirer acquiring bending angle data between a vehicle body front andrear portions, and a shot image data acquirer acquiring shot imagesrespectively shot by multiple cameras. The '400 patent further disclosesthat the surroundings monitoring system further includes a determinerdetermining, from the multiple bending angle ranges, a bending anglerange to which the bending angle belongs, and a selector selecting, froma plurality of the representative images, a representative image thatbelongs to the determined bending angle range, and a display controllercausing a display to simultaneously display the generated bird's eyeimage and the selected representative image.

While the '400 patent discloses a surroundings monitoring system, thepatent does not resolve the issue of erroneously detecting portions ofthe articulated machine as obstructions.

The controller of the present disclosure solves one or more of theproblems set forth above and/or other problems in the art.

SUMMARY

In some implementations, a method performed by a controller of a machineincludes detecting, based on information from a first sensor device ofthe machine, a change in an articulation angle of the machine, whereinthe articulation angle is associated with an articulation joint of themachine; and adjusting, based on detecting the change in thearticulation angle, a size of an object detection area to obtain anadjusted object detection area, wherein the object detection area isassociated with the articulation joint of the machine.

In some implementations, a controller of a machine includes one or morememories; and one or more processors configured to: determine, using afirst sensor device of the machine, an articulation angle of themachine; and adjust, based on the articulation angle, a size of anobject detection area to obtain an adjusted object detection area, theobject detection area being associated with an articulation joint of themachine.

In some implementations, a system includes one or more sensor devices ofa machine; and a controller, of the machine, configured to: determine,based on the one or more sensor devices, an articulation angle of themachine; and identify, based on the articulation angle of the machine, aportion of an object detection area, the object detection area beingassociated with an articulation joint of the machine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example machine described herein.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams of example implementations describedherein.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an example system, described herein, that may beimplemented in association with the machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an example process relating to determining anobject detection area based on an articulation angle of a machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure relates to a process for determining an object detectionarea based on an articulation angle of a machine. The term “machine” mayrefer to a machine that performs an operation associated with anindustry such as, for example, mining, construction, farming,transportation, or another type of industry. Moreover, one or moreimplements may be connected to the machine. The process for determiningan object detection area based on an articulation angle of a machine hasapplicability to articulated machines. The term “articulated machine”may refer to a machine that includes a front portion and a rear portionthat are configured to articulate with respect to each other via anarticulation joint of the articulated machine.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example machine 100 described herein. As shownin FIG. 1, the machine 100 is embodied as a motor grader. Alternatively,the machine 100 may be another type of articulated machine such as awheel loader, a dump truck, an articulated soil compactor, and/or thelike.

As shown in FIG. 1, machine 100 includes a steerable traction device102, a driven traction device 104, a frame 106 connecting steerabletraction device 102 to driven traction device 104, a power source 108supported by driven traction device 104, and a transmission (not shown)configured to transmit power from power source 108 to driven tractiondevice 104. Machine 100 also includes a work implement such as, forexample, a drawbar-circle-moldboard assembly (DCM) 110, and a controlsystem 112.

Steerable traction device 102 includes one or more wheels 114 located oneach side of machine 100 (only one side shown). Additionally, oralternatively, steerable traction device 102 may include tracks, belts,or other traction devices. Wheels 114 may be rotatable about a verticalaxis 116 for use during steering.

Driven traction device 104 includes wheels 120 located on each side ofmachine 100 (only one side shown). Additionally, or alternatively,driven traction device 104 may include tracks, belts, or other tractiondevices. Frame 106 may connect steerable traction device 102 to driventraction device 104. Frame 106 may include an articulation joint 122that connects driven traction device 104 to frame 106.

Power source 108 may be an engine such as, for example, a diesel engine,a gasoline engine, a natural gas engine, or another type of engine.Alternatively, power source 108 may be another source of power such as afuel cell, a power storage device, or another source of power.

DCM 110 includes a drawbar assembly 124 supported by a center portion offrame 106 via a hydraulic ram assembly and connected to a front portionof frame 106 via a ball and socket joint 126. DCM 110 may be bothvertically and horizontally positioned relative to frame 106. A circleassembly 128 may be connected to drawbar assembly 124 via additionalhydraulic rams and may be configured to support a moldboard assembly 130having a blade 132. DCM 110 may rotate circle assembly 128 and moldboardassembly 130 relative to drawbar assembly 124 (e.g., around an axis ofrotation). Blade 132 may be positioned both horizontally and vertically,and oriented relative to circle assembly 128. In some examples, DCM 110may include another work implement such as, for example, a ripper, abucket, or another type of work implement.

Control system 112 may include one or more buttons, joysticks, levers,user interfaces, and/or the like used to control movement of machine100. Control system 112 may control a rotation angle associated with DCM110, drawbar assembly 124, circle assembly 128, and/or moldboardassembly 130. Control system 112 may cause wheels 114 to lean about ahorizontal axis 118 to oppose a reaction force caused by DCM 110engaging a work surface, or to adjust a height of DCM 110. Controlsystem 112 may control a lean angle of wheels 114. Control system 112may further control an articulation angle of machine 100 (e.g., viaarticulation joint 122). For example, control system 112 may causemachine 100 to articulate steerable traction device 102 relative todriven traction device 104 via articulation joint 122.

As shown in FIG. 1, machine 100 further includes an operator cabin 134,a controller 140 (e.g., an electronic control module (ECM)), anarticulation area sensor device 150, an articulation sensor device 160,a front portion 162, and a rear portion 164. Operator cabin 134 mayinclude control system 112. Controller 140 may include one or morememories and one or more processors. Controller 140 may receiveinformation identifying objects identified in an object detection area.

The object detection area may correspond to a detectable area,associated with articulation joint 122, in which one or more objects maybe detected. The object detection area may include an area within athreshold distance of articulation joint 122. The object detection areamay be defined using a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, athree-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, and/or the like. In someexamples, the object detection area and/or the threshold distance may bedetermined by controller 140 (e.g., based on historical data identifyingobject detection areas, threshold distances, objects detected (e.g.,that include portions of machine 100), and/or the like). Additionally,or alternatively, the object detection area and/or the thresholddistance may be determined by an operator associated with machine 100.Information identifying the object detection area and/or informationidentifying the threshold distance may be stored in a memory associatedwith machine 100, a memory of controller 140, and/or the like. Theobject detection area and/or the threshold distance are discussed belowin connection with FIGS. 2A and 2B.

Controller 140 may determine an articulation angle portion of the objectdetection area, as explained in more detail below in connection withFIGS. 2A and 2B. The articulation angle portion may correspond to aportion of the object detection area that is defined by the articulationangle of machine 100 (e.g., a portion corresponding to the articulationangle), as explained in more detail below in connection with FIGS. 2Aand 2B. The articulation angle portion may exclude portions of machine100 (e.g., components of machine 100) to prevent erroneously detectingthe portions of the articulated machine as obstructions. Controller 140may determine whether an object is detected in the articulation angleportion and disregard objects identified in a machine portion of theobject detection area. The machine portion may correspond to a remainingportion of the object detection area that excludes the articulationangle portion, as explained in more detail below in connection withFIGS. 2A and 2B. The machine portion may include the portions of machine100 (e.g., components of machine 100).

Articulation area sensor device 150 may include a device that detectsobjects in the object detection area (associated with articulation joint122) and transmits (e.g., to controller 140) object detectioninformation (e.g., sensor data) identifying objects that are detected inthe object detection area. Articulation area sensor device 150 mayinclude a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device, a sound navigationand ranging (SONAR) device, a radio detection and ranging (RADAR)device, a camera, and/or the like.

In some examples, articulation area sensor device 150 may be configured(e.g., by controller 140, the operator, and/or the like) to identifyobjects within the object detection area. For instance, articulationarea sensor device 150 may be configured (e.g., by controller 140, theoperator, and/or the like) with the information identifying the objectdetection area and/or the information identifying the thresholddistance.

Articulation area sensor device 150 may be located at one or morelocations, of an exterior surface of machine 100, that facilitatedetection of objects in the object detection area. For example,articulation area sensor device 150 may be located at one or morelocations, of an exterior surface of machine 100, within a thresholddistance of articulation joint 122.

In some implementations, articulation area sensor device 150 may beconfigured to change an object detection direction (e.g., a direction inwhich articulation area sensor device 150 detects objects) manually. Forexample, articulation area sensor device 150 may be configured to changethe object detection direction based on manual adjustments by one ormore operators associated with machine 100 (e.g., manual adjustmentusing input from the user interfaces in operator cabin 134, using inputfrom one or more user interfaces of a user device, using physicalinteractions of the one or more operators with articulation area sensordevice 150, and/or the like). Alternatively, articulation area sensordevice 150 may be configured to change the object detection directionautomatically (e.g., based on a movement of machine 100, an orientationof machine 100, and/or the like).

Articulation sensor device 160 may include a device that determines ameasure of articulation of machine 100. The measure of articulation maycorrespond to the articulation angle of machine 100. Articulation sensordevice 160 may transmit (e.g., to controller 140) articulation angleinformation identifying the articulation angle of machine 100.Articulation sensor device 160 may include a rotary sensor, an inertialmeasurement unit (IMU), an in-cylinder sensor, and/or the like todetermine the measure of articulation of machine 100.

In some examples, articulation sensor device 160 may determine a measureof articulation, via articulation joint 122, between front portion 162of machine 100 and rear portion 164 of machine 100. Additionally, oralternatively, articulation sensor device 160 may determine a measure ofarticulation of steerable traction device 102 relative to driventraction device 104. The measure of articulation may correspond to thearticulation angle of machine 100. Additionally, or alternatively,articulation sensor device 160 may determine a measure of steering ofsteerable traction device 102 (e.g., a steering angle of steerabletraction device 102) and determine the articulation angle of machine 100based on the measure of steering of steerable traction device 102.

Articulation sensor device 160 may be located at one or more locations,of an interior or exterior surface of machine 100, that facilitatedetermining the articulation angle of machine 100. For example,articulation sensor device 160 (e.g., embodied as the rotary sensorand/or the IMU) may be located on the articulation joint and maydetermine a measure of rotation of the articulation joint. The measureof rotation of the articulation joint may correspond to the articulationangle of machine 100. Alternatively, articulation sensor device 160(e.g., embodied as the in-cylinder sensor) may be located on one or morecylinders (not shown) that cause machine 100 to articulate and maydetermine a measure of displacement of the one or more cylinders. Themeasure of displacement may correspond to the articulation angle ofmachine 100.

In some examples, articulation sensor device 160 may monitor thearticulation angle of machine 100 and determine a change in thearticulation angle of machine 100. For example, articulation sensordevice 160 may periodically (e.g., every second, every ten seconds,every thirty seconds, and/or the like) determine the articulation angleof machine 100 and determine the change in the articulation angle ofmachine 100. For instance, articulation sensor device 160 may comparethe articulation angle determined at a first time and the articulationangle determined at a second time and may determine the change in thearticulation angle based on the comparison. Articulation sensor device160 may include, in the articulation angle information, informationidentifying the change in the articulation angle.

As indicated above, FIG. 1 is provided as an example. Other examples maydiffer from what was described in connection with FIG. 1.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams of example implementations 200 describedherein. As shown in FIG. 2A, an object detection area 210 (correspondingto the object detection area discussed in connection with FIG. 1) mayinclude an area within a threshold distance (D) (corresponding to thethreshold distance discussed in connection with FIG. 1) of articulationjoint 122. The area may have a shape of a circle, an ellipse, an oval, asquare, a rectangle, and/or the like.

Object detection area 210 may correspond to a three-dimensional spacedefined by the area within threshold distance (D), a top surface ofmachine 100 (e.g., a plane parallel to the top surface), and a ground(e.g., a plane parallel to the ground surface) on which machine 100travels. As an example, object detection area 210 may have a shape of asphere, a cube, and/or the like. The shapes of object detection area 210are merely provided as examples. Other examples may differ from what isdescribed with regard to the shapes.

As shown in FIG. 2A, machine 100 may be articulated to an articulationangle (A). Articulation angle (A) may define an angle between frontportion 162 and rear portion 164. Articulation angle (A) may correspondto an angle included in a range of possible articulation angles formachine 100. In some examples, a value of articulation angle (A) mayindicate a side (e.g., left side or right side) of front portion 162 anda side (e.g., left side or right side) of rear portion 164 that formarticulation angle (A).

For instance, a value of articulation angle (A) that satisfies athreshold angle may indicate an angle that is formed between a rightside of front portion 162 and a right side of rear portion 164.Conversely, a value of articulation angle (A) that does not satisfy thethreshold angle may indicate an angle that is formed between a left sideof front portion 162 and a left side of rear portion 164. As shown inFIG. 2A, articulation angle (A) is formed between the right side offront portion 162 and the right side of rear portion 164.

As shown in FIG. 2B, object detection area 210 may include anarticulation angle portion 220 (corresponding to the articulation angleportion discussed in connection with FIG. 1) and a machine portion 230(corresponding to the machine portion discussed in connection with FIG.1). Articulation angle portion 220 may correspond to a portion of theobject detection area 210 that is defined by articulation angle (A)formed between front portion 162 (e.g., a side of front portion 162) andrear portion 164 (e.g., a side of rear portion 164). Articulation angleportion 220 may include a space defined by articulation angle (A), frontportion 162 (e.g., a side of front portion 162), and rear portion 164(e.g., a side of rear portion 164).

For example, as shown in FIG. 2B, articulation angle portion 220 maycorrespond to a portion of the object detection area 210 that is definedby articulation angle (A) formed between the right side of front portion162 and the right side of rear portion 164. Boundaries of articulationangle portion 220 (e.g., boundaries of the portion of object detectionarea 210 corresponding to articulation angle portion 220) may be definedby a value of articulation angle (A), the right side of front portion162, and the right side of rear portion 164. As explained above,articulation angle portion 220 may exclude portions of machine 100(e.g., components of machine 100) to prevent erroneously detecting theportions of the articulated machine as obstructions. Machine portion 230may correspond to a remaining portion of object detection area 210 thatexcludes articulation angle portion 220.

In some examples, based on the value of the articulation angle (A),controller 140 may identify a side (e.g., left side or right side) offront portion 162 that forms articulation angle (A) and a side (e.g.,left side or right side) of rear portion 164 that forms articulationangle (A), in a manner similar to the manner described above. Based onthe value of articulation angle (A), the identified side of frontportion 162, and the identified side of rear portion 164, controller 140may identify articulation angle portion 220 corresponding toarticulation angle (A). For example, controller 140 may determineboundaries of articulation angle portion 220, an area associated witharticulation angle portion 220, a size of articulation angle portion220, dimensions associated with articulation angle portion 220, and/orthe like based on the value of articulation angle (A), the identifiedside of front portion 162 forming articulation angle (A), and theidentified side of rear portion 164 forming articulation angle (A).

In some examples, as machine 100 continues to move, machine 100 mayfurther articulate in a direction corresponding to articulation angle(A) and, accordingly, reduce the space defined by articulation angle(A), front portion 162, and rear portion 164. In this regard, controller140 may analyze articulation angle portion 220 (instead of machineportion 230) to prevent machine 100 from further articulating in suchdirection in the event an object is located in the articulation angleportion.

In some examples, controller 140 may determine one or more articulationangle portions for one or more articulation angles included in the rangeof possible articulation angles of machine 100, in a manner similar tothe manner described above. For example, controller 140 may obtaininformation identifying the range of possible articulation angles ofmachine 100 (e.g., from a memory associated with machine 100) and maydetermine the one or more articulation angle portions corresponding tothe one or more articulation angles (included in the range of possiblearticulation angles of machine 100).

Controller 140 may store, in a data structure, information identifyingthe one or more articulation angles in association with informationidentifying the one or more articulation angle portions corresponding tothe one or more articulation angles, as described below in connectionwith FIG. 3. The information identifying the one or more articulationangles may include one or more values of the one or more articulationangles. The information identifying the one or more articulation angleportions may include information identifying boundaries of the one ormore articulation angle portions, an area associated with the one ormore articulation angle portions, a size of the one or more articulationangle portions, dimensions associated with the one or more articulationangle portions, and/or the like.

As indicated above, FIGS. 2A and 2B are provided as examples. Otherexamples may differ from what was described in connection with FIGS. 2Aand 2B.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an example system 300, described herein, that maybe implemented in association with the machine of FIG. 1 (e.g., machine100). As shown in FIG. 3, system 300 includes controller 140,articulation area sensor device 150, articulation sensor device 160, auser device 330, and a data storage 340.

Controller 140 may include one or more processors 310 (referred toherein individually as “processor 310,” and collectively as “processors310”), and one or more memories 320 (referred to herein individually as“memory 320,” and collectively as “memories 320”). A processor 310 isimplemented in hardware, firmware, and/or a combination of hardware andsoftware. A processor 310 is a central processing unit (CPU), a graphicsprocessing unit (GPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), amicroprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), afield-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integratedcircuit (ASIC), or another type of processing component. A processor 310may be capable of being programmed to perform a function.

A memory 320 includes a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory(ROM), and/or another type of dynamic or static storage device (e.g., aflash memory, a magnetic memory, and/or an optical memory) that storesinformation and/or instructions for use by a processor 310 to perform afunction. For example, when performing a function, controller 140 (e.g.,using a processor 310 and a memory 320) may obtain the informationidentifying the object detection area, the object detection information(e.g., from articulation area sensor device 150), and the articulationangle information (e.g., from articulation sensor device 160).Controller 140 may identify an articulation angle portion, of the objectdetection area, corresponding to the articulation angle of machine 100and analyze a portion of the object detection information, correspondingto the articulation angle portion, to determine whether an object hasbeen detected in the articulation angle portion.

In some instances, controller 140 may analyze the portion of the objectdetection information (e.g., when the object detection informationincludes image data) using one or more object detection techniques(e.g., a Single Shot Detector (SSD) technique, a You Only Look Once(YOLO) technique, and/or the like) to determine whether an object hasbeen detected in the articulation angle portion.

Articulation area sensor device 150 may be configured to transmit theobject detection information (e.g., LIDAR data, SONAR data, RADAR data,image data, and/or the like) to controller 140 to enable controller 140to analyze the object detection information and determine, based on theanalysis, whether an object has been detected in the articulation angleportion. In some examples, articulation area sensor device 150 may beconfigured (e.g., by controller 140 and/or the operator) to detectobjects in the articulation angle portion and disregard objects in themachine portion. Additionally, articulation area sensor device 150 maybe configured (e.g., by controller 140 and/or the operator) to transmita portion of the object detection information corresponding to thearticulation angle portion (e.g., a portion that identifies the objectsdetected in the articulation angle portion) and disregard a remainingportion of the object detection information (e.g., disregard a portionof the object detection information corresponding to the machineportion).

By configuring articulation area sensor device 150 to detect objects inthe articulation angle portion and transmit the portion of the objectdetection information corresponding to the articulation angle portion,articulation area sensor device 150 may prevent erroneously detectingportions of machine 100 as obstructions. In some examples, articulationarea sensor device 150 may be configured to transmit the objectdetection information to controller 140 based on a request fromcontroller 140.

Additionally, or alternatively, articulation area sensor device 150 maybe configured to transmit the object detection information to controller140 periodically (e.g., every thirty seconds, every minute, every fiveminutes, upon occurrence of a trigger, and/or the like). In someexamples, articulation area sensor device 150 may be preconfigured withthe period of time for transmitting the object detection information.Alternatively, the period of time for transmitting the object detectioninformation may be determined by an operator associated with machine100. Alternatively, the period of time for transmitting the objectdetection information may be determined by controller 140 (e.g., basedon object detection historical data regarding machine 100). The objectdetection historical data may include historical data regarding periodsof time for transmitting the object detection information, frequency ofmovements of machine 100, and/or the like.

Articulation sensor device 160 may be configured to transmit thearticulation angle information to controller 140 to enable controller140 to determine the articulation angle of machine 100 and determine thearticulation angle portion of the object detection area corresponding tothe articulation angle (and ignore the machine portion of the objectdetection area). Articulation sensor device 160 may be configured totransmit the articulation angle information to controller 140 based on arequest from controller 140.

Additionally, or alternatively, articulation sensor device 160 may beconfigured to transmit the articulation angle information to controller140 periodically (e.g., every second, every ten seconds, every thirtyseconds, upon occurrence of a trigger, and/or the like). In someexamples, articulation sensor device 160 may be preconfigured with theperiod of time for transmitting the articulation angle information.Alternatively, the period of time for transmitting the articulationangle information may be determined by an operator associated withmachine 100. Alternatively, the period of time for transmitting thearticulation angle information may be determined by controller 140(e.g., based on articulation historical data regarding machine 100). Thearticulation historical data may include historical data regardingperiods of time for transmitting the articulation angle information,frequency of movements of machine 100, and/or the like.

User device 330 may include a smart phone, a laptop computer, a tabletcomputer, a remote control for remote control of machine 100, and/or thelike. User device 330 may be used to control operation of machine 100,configure controller 140, configure articulation area sensor device 150,configure articulation sensor device 160, and/or configure data storage340.

Data storage 340 may include a device that stores a data structure(e.g., a database, a linked list, a table, and/or the like). The datastructure may store information identifying different articulationangles of machine 100 in association with corresponding size informationthat identifies different articulation angle portions of the objectdetection area associated with the articulation angles. The informationidentifying the articulation angle may include a value of thearticulation angle.

The size information of an articulation angle portion may includeinformation that can be used to identify the articulation angle portionsuch as, for example, information identifying boundaries of thearticulation angle portion, an area associated with the articulationangle portion, a size of the articulation angle portion, dimensionsassociated with the articulation angle portion, and/or the like. Thearticulation angle portion may be based on an amount of space betweenfront portion 162 of machine 100 and rear portion 164 of machine 100 asa result of an articulation of machine 100 to the articulation angle.

Controller 140 may use the size information to adjust a size of anobject detection area in order to determine whether an object has beendetected in the articulation portion. In this regard, as thearticulation angle increases, the size of the object detection area mayincrease. Conversely, as the articulation angle decreases, the size ofthe object detection area may decrease.

In the data structure, information identifying a first articulationangle may be associated with first size information that identifies afirst articulation angle portion of the object detection area,information identifying a second articulation angle may be associatedwith second size information that identifies a second articulation angleportion of the object detection area, and so on.

In some implementations, the information identifying the differentarticulation angles and/or the size information identifying thedifferent articulation angle portions of the object detection area maybe provided (to data storage 340) by controller 140, as discussed abovein connection with FIGS. 2A and 2B. Additionally, or alternatively, theinformation identifying the different articulation angles and/or thesize information identifying the different articulation angle portionsof the object detection area may be provided (to data storage 340) bythe operator associated with machine 100. The operator may provide theinformation identifying the different articulation angles and/or thesize information identifying the different articulation angle portionsusing a device associated with the operator. The device associated withthe operator may include user device 330, the user interfaces includedin operator cabin 134, and/or the like.

For instance, the operator may obtain, using the device, informationidentifying machine 100 articulated to the first articulation (e.g.,from a memory associated machine 100). The information identifyingmachine 100 (articulated to the first articulation angle) may include athree-dimensional depiction of machine 100 articulated to the firstarticulation angle. The three-dimensional depiction may includeinformation identifying the object detection area. The three-dimensionaldepiction, including the object detection area, may be provided to theoperator via a display of the device.

The operator may interact with the display to select the firstarticulation angle portion (of the object detection area). For example,the operator may interact with the display (e.g., tactile interactionwith the display) to select information identifying the firstarticulation angle portion (e.g., select boundaries of the firstarticulation angle portion, an area associated with the firstarticulation angle portion, a size of the first articulation angleportion, dimensions associated with the first articulation angleportion, and/or the like). Additionally, or alternatively, the operatormay input, using the device, textual information for the informationidentifying the first articulation angle portion.

The operator may store, using the device and in the data structure ofdata storage 340, the information identifying the first articulationangle in association with the first size information identifying thefirst articulation angle portion. The operator may perform similaractions to store, in data storage 340, the information identifying thesecond articulation angle in association with the second sizeinformation identifying the second articulation angle portion, and soon.

In some implementations, controller 140 may obtain information fromarticulation area sensor device 150, articulation sensor device 160,and/or data storage 340 to determine whether an object has been detectedin an articulation angle portion, of the object detection information,that corresponds to an articulation angle of machine 100, as describedin more detail below. In some examples, controller 140 may obtain, fromarticulation sensor device 160, the articulation angle information thatincludes the information identifying the articulation angle of machine100. Controller 140 may determine the articulation angle of machine 100based on the information identifying the articulation angle. Controller140 may determine the articulation angle in order to determine whetheran object has been detected in the articulation angle portioncorresponding to the articulation angle and, thereby, preventerroneously detecting portions of machine 100 as obstructions.

In some examples, controller 140 may transmit, to articulation sensordevice 160, an articulation angle request for the articulation angleinformation and may receive the articulation angle information fromarticulation sensor device 160 based on the articulation angle request.For example, controller 140 may periodically transmit, to articulationsensor device 160, the articulation angle request for the articulationangle information (e.g., every second, every ten seconds, every thirtyseconds, and/or the like). The period of time for transmitting thearticulation angle request may be determined by controller 140 (e.g.,based on historical data regarding machine 100). The historical data maybe stored in a memory associated with machine 100 and may includehistorical data regarding periods of time for transmitting articulationangle requests for the articulation angle information, frequency ofmovements of machine 100, and/or the like.

Additionally, or alternatively, controller 140 may periodically receivethe articulation angle information from articulation sensor device 160,in a manner similar to the manner described herein. Additionally, oralternatively, controller 140 may transmit the articulation anglerequest to articulation sensor device 160 based on controller 140detecting one or more events and may receive the articulation angleinformation from articulation area sensor device 150 based on thearticulation angle request. For example, the one or more events mayinclude receiving an object detection request, from the operatorassociated with machine 100, to determine whether an object is detectedin the object detection area. The operator may transmit the objectdetection request via the user interfaces of operator cabin 134, viauser device 330, and/or the like.

Additionally, or alternatively, the one or more events may includedetecting a movement of machine 100 based on input from control system112, detecting a steering of machine 100 (e.g., steering of steerabletraction device 102 and/or of wheels 114) based on input from controlsystem 112, and/or the like.

In some examples, controller 140 may detect a change in the articulationangle of machine 100 based on the articulation angle information. Forexample, the articulation angle information may include the informationidentifying the change in the articulation angle, as described above.Additionally, or alternatively, controller 140 may compare thearticulation angle (identified in the articulation angle information)and the articulation angle (identified in prior articulation angleinformation). Controller 140 may determine the change in thearticulation angle based on the comparison. Controller 140 may determinewhether an object has been detected in an articulation angle portion ofthe object detection area corresponding to the articulation angle, basedon detecting the change in the articulation angle.

Controller 140 may adjust, based on the articulation angle, the size ofthe object detection area to obtain the adjusted object detection area,as described herein. Controller 140 may adjust the size of the objectdetection area to obtain the adjusted object detection area in order todetermine whether an object has been detected in the adjusted objectdetection area and, thereby, prevent erroneously detecting portions ofmachine 100 as obstructions.

In some examples, controller 140 may obtain, from the memory associatedwith controller 140, the information identifying the object detectionarea. Controller 140 may obtain the information identifying the objectdetection area based on determining the articulation angle, based onreceiving the object detection request, based on receiving a request forthe information identifying the object detection area, and/or the like.

After obtaining the information identifying the object detection area,controller 140 may obtain, from data storage 340, size informationassociated with the articulation angle. For example, after receiving thearticulation angle information, controller 140 may obtain the sizeinformation using the information identifying the articulation angle(included in the articulation angle information). The size informationmay identify an articulation angle portion of the object detection areacorresponding to the articulation angle. Controller 140 may identify thearticulation angle portion of the object detection area (correspondingto the articulation angle) based on the size information (obtained usingthe information identifying the articulation angle).

Controller 140 may adjust, based on the articulation angle portion ofthe object detection area (corresponding to the articulation angle), thesize of the object detection area to obtain the adjusted objectdetection area. Controller 140 may adjust the size of the objectdetection area to a size corresponding to the articulation angleportion. For example, controller 140 may identify the boundaries of thearticulation angle portion (e.g., identified in the size information)and adjust the size of the object detection area based on the boundariesof the articulation angle portion. For instance, controller 140 mayadjust the size of the object detection area to a size that correspondsto the boundaries of the articulation angle portion. Accordingly, anobject detected in a machine portion (associated with the articulationangle) may be removed from consideration.

Controller 140 may increase the size of the adjusted object detectionarea as the articulation angle increases (e.g., increases with respectto a last articulation angle of machine 100). Alternatively, controller140 may decrease the size of the adjusted object detection area as thearticulation angle decreases (e.g., decreases with respect to a lastarticulation angle of machine 100). In some examples, the size of theobject detection area (prior to being adjusted) may correspond to adefault size or correspond to a size that is based on a last adjustmentof the object detection area (e.g., an adjustment based on a priorarticulation angle portion).

Controller 140 may store information identifying the adjusted objectdetection area in a memory associated with controller 140. Theinformation identifying the adjusted object detection area may includeinformation identifying a size of the adjusted object detection area,boundaries of the adjusted object detection area, and/or the like. Insome implementations, controller 140 may configure articulation areasensor device 150, using the information identifying the adjusted objectdetection area, to cause articulation area sensor device 150 to detectobjects within the adjusted object detection area (instead of detectingobjects in an entirety of the object detection area).

For example, controller 140 may obtain the information identifying theadjusted object detection area (e.g., from the memory associated withcontroller 140) and/or the size information identifying the articulationangle portion (e.g., using the articulation angle information).Controller 140 may configure articulation area sensor device 150, usingthe information identifying the adjusted object detection area and/orthe size information identifying the articulation angle portion, todetect objects located within the articulation angle portion anddisregard objects located outside of the articulation angle portion(e.g., objects located within the machine portion). In this regard,articulation area sensor device 150 may include, in the object detectioninformation, information regarding the objects detected within thearticulation angle portion and exclude information regarding the objectsdetected within the machine portion.

In some examples, prior to adjusting the size of the object detectionarea, controller 140 may determine whether a speed of machine 100satisfies a threshold speed. For instance, controller 140 may determinethe speed of machine 100 using a speed sensor device (not shown) ofmachine 100. The speed sensor device may include a device that detectsand/or monitors a speed of machine 100 (e.g., an engine speed sensor, anaccelerometer, and/or the like). The information identifying thethreshold speed may be stored in a memory associated with machine 100.The threshold speed may be determined by an operator associated withmachine 100, determined by controller 140 (e.g., based on historicaldata identifying threshold speed associated with detecting objects inthe object detection area), and/or the like.

Controller 140 may obtain information identifying the speed of machine100 from the speed sensor, obtain the information identifying thethreshold speed from the memory associated with machine 100, and comparethe speed and the threshold speed to determine whether the speedsatisfies the threshold speed. Controller 140 may proceed with adjustingthe size of the object detection area if the speed of machine 100 doesnot satisfy the threshold speed. If the speed of machine 100 satisfiesthe threshold speed, controller 140 may refrain from adjusting the sizeof the object detection area and from determining whether an object hasbeen detected the adjusted object detection area (e.g., because a speedof machine 100, that satisfies the threshold speed, may prevent machine100 from further articulating in a direction corresponding to thearticulation angle).

Controller 140 may determine, based on information from articulationarea sensor device 150, that an object is detected in the adjustedobject detection area. By determining that an object is detected in theadjusted object detection area, controller 140 may prevent erroneouslydetecting portions of machine 100 as obstructions.

To determine whether an object is detected in the adjusted objectdetection area, controller 140 may transmit, to articulation area sensordevice 150, a detection area request for the object detectioninformation. For instance, controller 140 may transmit, to articulationarea sensor device 150, the detection area request (e.g., based ondetermining the articulation angle of machine 100, based on adjustingthe size of the object detection area, and/or the like) and obtain theobject detection information from articulation area sensor device 150.Alternatively, controller 140 may transmit the detection area request toarticulation area sensor device 150 based on receiving the objectdetection request and obtain the object detection information fromarticulation area sensor device 150 based on the detection area request.

Alternatively, controller 140 may transmit the detection area request toarticulation area sensor device 150 periodically (e.g., in a mannersimilar to the manner described herein with respect to transmitting thearticulation angle request) and obtain the object detection informationfrom articulation area sensor device 150. In some instances, the objectdetection request may include the information identifying the adjustedobject detection area and/or the size information identifying thearticulation angle portion to cause articulation area sensor device 150to detect objects included in the articulation angle portion of theobject detection area (instead of detecting objects included in anentirety of the object detection area).

Alternatively, controller 140 may obtain, from a memory associated withcontroller 140 (e.g., memory 320), object detection informationpreviously received from the articulation area sensor device 150(hereinafter “prior object detection information”). For example,controller 140 may obtain the prior object detection information fromthe memory associated with controller 140 if the prior object detectioninformation was obtained from articulation area sensor device 150 (priorto the detection area request) within a threshold amount of time fromreceiving the detection area request.

Controller 140 may analyze the object detection information to determinewhether any object is detected in the adjusted object detection area.For example, based on articulation area sensor device 150 beingconfigured using the information identifying the adjusted objectdetection area and/or based on the object detection request (includingthe information identifying the adjusted object detection area and/orthe size information identifying the articulation angle portion (asexplained above)), the object detection information may includeinformation regarding the objects located within the articulation angleportion and exclude information regarding the objects located outside ofthe articulation angle portion (e.g., within machine 100 portion).

Alternatively, if the object detection information includes informationregarding an entirety of the object detection area, controller 140 mayanalyze the object detection information (e.g., using the informationidentifying the adjusted object detection area and/or the sizeinformation identifying the articulation angle portion). Based on theanalysis, controller 140 may determine whether an object is detected ina portion of the object detection information that corresponds to theadjusted object detection area and disregard any information outside ofthe portion of the object detection information that corresponds to theadjusted object detection area (e.g., disregard any object detectedoutside of the portion of the object detection information thatcorresponds to the adjusted object detection area).

For instance, controller 140 may use the size information (identifyingthe articulation angle portion) to identify the portion of the objectdetection information that corresponds to the adjusted object detectionarea. Alternatively, controller 140 may obtain the informationidentifying the adjusted object detection area from the memoryassociated with controller 140 and use the information identifying theadjusted object detection area to identify the portion of the objectdetection information that corresponds to the adjusted object detectionarea. Controller 140 may analyze the portion of the object detectioninformation that corresponds to the adjusted object detection area todetermine whether an object has been detected in the portion of theobject detection information that corresponds to the adjusted objectdetection area (without analyzing any information outside of the portionof the object detection information that corresponds to the adjustedobject detection area).

Controller 140 may analyze the portion of the object detectioninformation (corresponding to the articulation angle) to determinewhether such portion includes information indicating that an object hasbeen detected in such portion. Controller 140 may detect an object asresult of the analysis. In some examples, controller 140 may analyze theportion of the object detection information corresponding to thearticulation angle using one or more object detection techniques (e.g.,a Single Shot Detector (SSD) technique, a You Only Look Once (YOLO)technique, and/or the like) to determine whether an object is detectedin the portion of the object detection information corresponding to thearticulation angle.

Controller 140 may perform an action based on the object being detectedin the adjusted object detection area, as described herein. In someexamples, controller 140 may prevent movement of machine 100. Forexample, controller 140 may prevent an articulation of machine 100,prevent a steering of machine 100, prevent a forward movement and abackward movement of machine 100, and/or the like. Additionally, oralternatively, controller 140 may cause a notification to be provided tothe operator. For example, the notification may include an audiblenotification (e.g., an alarm), a visual notification, and/or the like.Additionally, or alternatively, controller 140 may cause machine 100 toarticulate in a direction opposite with respect to a direction in whichmachine 100 was articulating to reach the articulation angle. Forexample, controller 140 may cause machine 100 to articulate in theopposite direction until machine 100 reaches a particular position.

Additionally, or alternatively, controller 140 may use a machinelearning model to identify (or predict) the action to performed (e.g.,based on the object being detected in the adjusted object detectionarea). The machine learning model may be trained (e.g., by controller140, another device, and/or system) using historical data. Thehistorical data may include historical data identify objects, objectdetection areas, adjusted object detection areas, articulation angleportions, actions performed based on detecting the objects, and/or thelike. As a result of training, the machine learning model may be used toidentify (or predict) the action to be performed based on the objectbeing detected in the adjusted object detection area. In someimplementations, the machine learning model may be updated (orretrained) based on information identifying the object, the adjustedobject detection area, and the action performed based on the objectbeing detected in the adjusted object detection area.

Additionally, or alternatively, controller 140 may transmit, to thedevice associated with the operator, detected object informationindicating that the object has been detected in the adjusted objectdetection area. For example, controller 140 may transmit the detectedobject information to user device 330, the user interfaces of anoperator cabin of machine 100 (e.g., operator cabin 134), and/or thelike. The detected object information may include informationidentifying the object detection area, a location of the object in theobject detection area, a location of the object with respect to machine100, and/or the like.

In some examples, based on transmitting the information indicating thatthe object has been detected, controller 140 may receive, from thedevice associated with the operator, information indicating that theobject is a component of machine 100. Based on receiving the informationindicating that the object is the component of machine 100, controller140 may update the size information (identifying the articulation angleportion) to exclude, from the articulation angle portion, a portion thatidentifies the component. For example, controller 140 may update theboundaries of the articulation angle portion to remove the portion thatidentifies the component. Controller 140 may update data storage 340using the updated size information.

The number and arrangement of devices and networks shown in FIG. 3 areprovided as an example. In practice, there may be additional devices,fewer devices, different devices, or differently arranged devices thanthose shown in FIG. 3. Furthermore, two or more devices shown in FIG. 3may be implemented within a single device, or a single device shown inFIG. 3 may be implemented as multiple, distributed devices.Additionally, or alternatively, a set of devices (e.g., one or moredevices) of system 300 may perform one or more functions described asbeing performed by another set of devices of system 300.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an example process 400 associated withadjusting object detection area based on articulation angle. In someimplementations, one or more process blocks of FIG. 4 may be performedby a controller (e.g., controller 140). In some implementations, one ormore process blocks of FIG. 4 may be performed by another device or agroup of devices separate from or including the controller, such as anarticulation area sensor device (e.g., articulation area sensor device150), an articulation sensor device (e.g., articulation sensor device160), and a data storage (e.g., data storage 340), and/or the like.Additionally, or alternatively, the controller may perform one or moreprocess blocks of FIG. 4 using a processor (e.g., processor 310) and/ora memory (e.g., memory 320).

As shown in FIG. 4, process 400 may include determining, using a firstsensor device of the machine, an articulation angle of the machine(block 410). For example, the controller may determine, using thearticulation sensor device of the machine, an articulation angle of themachine, as described herein. The first sensor device may include thearticulation sensor device.

As further shown in FIG. 4, process 400 may include adjusting, based onthe articulation angle, a size of an object detection area to obtain anadjusted object detection area, the object detection area beingassociated with an articulation joint of the machine (block 420). Forexample, the controller may adjust, based on the articulation angle, thesize of the object detection area to obtain the adjusted objectdetection area, as described herein. In some examples, adjusting thesize of the object detection area comprises: adjusting the size of theobject detection area based on the articulation angle.

In some examples, adjusting the size of the object detection area basedon the articulation angle includes: increasing the size of the objectdetection area as the articulation angle increases; or decreasing thesize of the object detection area as the articulation angle decreases.In some examples, adjusting the size of the object detection areacomprises: adjusting the size of the object detection area when thespeed of the machine does not satisfy the threshold speed.

In some examples, adjusting the size of the object detection areacomprises: obtaining, from a data structure associated with the machineand using information identifying the articulation angle, sizeinformation identifying a portion of the object detection area, andadjusting the size of the object detection area based on the sizeinformation; and the method further comprises: receiving, from thedevice, information indicating that the object is a component of themachine

Process 400 may further include determining, based on information from asecond sensor device, that an object is detected in the adjusted objectdetection area. For example, the controller may determine, based oninformation from a second sensor device, that an object is detected inthe adjusted object detection area, as described herein. The secondsensor device may include the articulation area sensor device and theinformation from the second sensor device may include the objectdetection information.

Process 400 may further include performing an action based on the objectbeing detected in the adjusted object detection area. For example, thecontroller may perform an action based on the object being detected inthe adjusted object detection area, as described herein. In someexamples, performing the action comprises: preventing movement of themachine. In some examples, performing the action comprises:transmitting, to a device associated with an operator of the machine,information indicating that the object has been detected in the adjustedobject detection area.

Additionally, or alternatively, the controller may transmit, to thedevice associated with the operator, detected object informationindicating that the object has been detected in the adjusted objectdetection area. For example, the controller may transmit the detectedobject information to the user interfaces of an operator cabin of themachine (e.g., operator cabin 134), to a user device of the operator(e.g., user device 330), and/or the like. The detected objectinformation may include information identifying the object detectionarea, a location of the object in the object detection area, an outlineof the machine, a location of the object with respect to the machine,and/or the like.

In some examples, based on transmitting the information indicating thatthe object has been detected, the controller may receive, from thedevice associated with the operator, information indicating that theobject is a component of the machine. Based on receiving the informationindicating that the object is the component of the machine, thecontroller may update the size information (identifying the articulationangle portion) to exclude, from the articulation angle portion, aportion that identifies the component. For example, the controller mayupdate the boundaries of the articulation angle portion to remove theportion that identifies the component. The controller may update thedata storage using the updated size information.

Although FIG. 4 shows example blocks of process 400, in someimplementations, process 400 may include additional blocks, fewerblocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than thosedepicted in FIG. 4. Additionally, or alternatively, two or more of theblocks of process 400 may be performed in parallel.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

This disclosure relates to a process for determining an object detectionarea based on an articulation angle of a machine to prevent erroneouslydetecting portions of the machine as obstructions. Erroneously detectingportions of the machine as obstructions may waste machine resources thatare used to alert the operator of the machine of the obstructions, maywaste machine resources that are used to prevent movement of the machinebased on detecting the obstructions, may waste computing resources thatare used by the operator to indicate that the obstructions are portionsof the machine (e.g., components of the machine), may waste machineresources that are used to resume operation and movement of the machine,and/or the like.

The disclosed process for determining an object detection area based onan articulation angle of a machine may resolve the issues mentionedabove with respect to erroneously detecting portions of the machine asobstructions. For example, a controller (e.g., controller 140) mayidentify a portion of the object detection area corresponding to anarticulation angle of the machine and determine whether an object isdetected in the portion of the object detection area corresponding tothe articulation angle of the machine. Several advantages may beassociated with the disclosed process for determining an objectdetection area based on an articulation angle of a machine.

For example, by identifying the portion of the object detection areacorresponding to the articulation angle of the machine, the process mayprevent erroneously detecting portions of the articulated machine asobstructions to the articulated machine. By preventing erroneouslydetecting portions of the articulated machine as obstructions, theprocess may prevent (or limit) any disruption in the operation of thearticulated machine. By preventing erroneously detecting portions of thearticulated machine as obstructions, the process may preserve computingor machine resources that would have otherwise been used to alert anoperator of the articulated machine, used to prevent movement of themachine, used by the operator to indicate that the objects are portionsof the articulated machine, and/or the like. By preventing erroneouslydetecting portions of the articulated machine as obstructions, theprocess may preserve machine resources that would have otherwise beenused to resume operation and movement of the machine.

The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but isnot intended to be exhaustive or to limit the implementations to theprecise form disclosed. As used herein, “a,” “an,” and a “set” areintended to include one or more items, and may be used interchangeablywith “one or more.” Further, as used herein, the article “the” isintended to include one or more items referenced in connection with thearticle “the” and may be used interchangeably with “the one or more.”Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least inpart, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise. Further, spatiallyrelative terms, such as “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and thelike, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one elementor feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) asillustrated in the figures. The spatially relative terms are intended toencompass different orientations of the apparatus, device, and/orelement in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted inthe figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degreesor at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors usedherein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method performed by a controller of a machine,the method comprising: detecting, based on information from a firstsensor device of the machine, a change in an articulation angle of themachine, wherein the articulation angle is associated with anarticulation joint of the machine; and adjusting, based on detecting thechange in the articulation angle, a size of an object detection area toobtain an adjusted object detection area, wherein the object detectionarea is associated with the articulation joint of the machine.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein adjusting the size of the object detectionarea comprises: adjusting the size of the object detection area based onthe articulation angle.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting thesize of the object detection area based on the articulation angleincludes: increasing the size of the adjusted object detection area asthe articulation angle increases; or decreasing the size of the adjustedobject detection area as the articulation angle decreases.
 4. The methodof claim 1, further comprising: determining, based on information from asecond sensor device, that an object is detected in the adjusted objectdetection area; and performing an action based on the object beingdetected in the adjusted object detection area, wherein performing theaction comprises: preventing movement of the machine.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: detecting whether a speed of the machinesatisfies a threshold speed; and wherein adjusting the size of theobject detection area comprises: adjusting the size of the objectdetection area when the speed of the machine does not satisfy thethreshold speed.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:determining, based on information from a second sensor device, that anobject detected in the adjusted object detection area; and performing anaction based on the object being detected in the adjusted objectdetection area, wherein performing the action comprises: transmitting,to a device associated with an operator of the machine, informationindicating that the object has been detected in the adjusted objectdetection area.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein adjusting the size ofthe object detection area comprises: obtaining, from a data storageassociated with the machine and using information identifying thearticulation angle, size information identifying a portion of the objectdetection area; and adjusting the size of the object detection areabased on the size information; and wherein the method further comprises:receiving, from the device, information indicating that the object is acomponent of the machine; updating the size information to exclude, fromthe portion of the object detection area, a portion that identifies thecomponent; and updating the data storage using the updated sizeinformation.
 8. A controller of a machine, the controller comprising:one or more memories; and one or more processors configured to:determine, using a first sensor device of the machine, an articulationangle of the machine; and adjust, based on the articulation angle, asize of an object detection area to obtain an adjusted object detectionarea, the object detection area being associated with an articulationjoint of the machine.
 9. The controller of claim 8, wherein the one ormore processors are configured to: determine, based on information froma second sensor device, that an object is detected in the adjustedobject detection area; and perform an action based on the object beingdetected in the adjusted object detection area, wherein, when performingthe action, the one or more processors are configured to: transmit, to adevice associated with an operator of the machine, informationindicating that the object has been detected in the adjusted objectdetection area.
 10. The controller of claim 8, wherein the one or moreprocessors are further configured to: generate size information thatidentifies a portion of the object detection area corresponding to thearticulation angle; and store the size information, in a data storage,in association with information identifying the articulation angle priorto determining the articulation angle; and wherein, when adjusting thesize of the object detection area, the one or more processors areconfigured to: obtain, from the data storage and using the informationidentifying the articulation angle, the size information; and adjust thesize of the object detection area based on the size information.
 11. Thecontroller of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are configuredto determine, based on information from a second sensor device, that anobject is detected in the adjusted object detection area, wherein thefirst sensor device includes an articulation sensor device, and whereinthe second sensor device includes an articulation area sensor device.12. The controller of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors arefurther configured to: detect whether a speed of the machine satisfies athreshold speed; and wherein, when adjusting the size of the objectdetection area, the one or more processors are configured to: adjust thesize of the object detection area when the speed of the machine does notsatisfy the threshold speed.
 13. The controller of claim 8, wherein thesize of the adjusted object detection area is based on an amount ofspace between a front portion of the machine and a rear portion of themachine as a result of an articulation of the machine to thearticulation angle.
 14. The controller of claim 8, wherein the one ormore processors are configured to: determine, based on information froma second sensor device, that an object is detected in the adjustedobject detection area; and perform an action based on the object beingdetected in the adjusted object detection area, wherein, when performingthe action, the one or more processors are configured to prevent atleast one of: an articulation of the machine, a steering of the machine,or a forward movement and a backward movement of the machine.
 15. Asystem, comprising: one or more sensor devices of a machine; and acontroller, of the machine, configured to: determine, based on the oneor more sensor devices, an articulation angle of the machine; andidentify, based on the articulation angle of the machine, a portion ofan object detection area, the object detection area being associatedwith an articulation joint of the machine.
 16. The system of claim 15,wherein the one or more sensor devices include: an articulation sensordevice, and an articulation area sensor device.
 17. The system of claim16, wherein the controller is further configured to: obtain, from thearticulation sensor device, information identifying the articulationangle; wherein, when identifying the portion of the object detectionarea, the controller is configured to identify, based on the informationidentifying the articulation angle, the portion of the object detectionarea; and wherein the controller is configured to determine, based oninformation from the articulation area sensor device, that an object isdetected in the portion of the object detection area.
 18. The system ofclaim 15, wherein a size of the portion of the object detection area isbased on an amount of space between a front portion of the machine and arear portion of the machine as a result of an articulation of themachine to the articulation angle.
 19. The system of claim 15, whereinthe controller is configured to: determine, based on information fromthe one or more sensor devices, that an object is detected in theportion of the object detection area; and perform an action based on theobject being detected in the portion of the object detection area,wherein, when performing the action, the controller is configured to atleast one of: transmit, to a device associated with an operator of themachine, information indicating that the object has been detected in theportion of the object detection area; or prevent movement of themachine.
 20. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is furtherconfigured to: detect whether a speed of the machine satisfies athreshold speed; and wherein, when determining the object detectionarea, the controller is configured to: determine the object detectionarea when the speed of the machine does not satisfy the threshold speed.